Friday, November 18, 2016

Life's too short to not do what you love.....

In just a few days, it will be five years since my sister, my best friend, my hero, passed away. She was five years and two months older than I, which means in two more months I will be the age she was when she suddenly and unexpectedly died. I am already six years older than my father was when he died. And rarely a month goes by that I don't hear of a friend, or a friend's friend, or someone in my social network, passing away far too soon. Never getting to really enjoy their retirement.

You never know when your rails will end

The past year or so, I seem to have drifted further from doing many of the things I love to do - hiking, camping, laughing with good friends, photography, swimming, cycling, chillin' with my critters, walking by the ocean, going to concerts and live shows, listening to music, and writing - and I've been doing more and more things that leave me stressed, mentally and physically exhausted, in pain, or just sad.

There's nothing so calming as a good beach and a good dog.

It's time to get back to doing what I love, and in doing so become healthier, happier, calmer, more alive. In the past couple of months, I have resumed swimming three times a week (I used to swim every day before work, once upon a time) - helpful to my health and to my sense of tranquility. I have resumed hiking once or twice a week, as much as my still-tender torn meniscus will allow. I spent five days - five days! - on the mainland just hanging with and laughing with family and friends, all at a leisurely pace. I have relegated as much of the work around the house and yard to paid help as my budget will allow. I'm on the lookout for an inexpensive camper van, and in the spring I may even buy an electric-assist bike if my knee has healed enough for cycling. And I've set up an appointment with a realtor to talk about some possible housing options I'm considering.

On the road again....goin' places that I've never been,Seein' things that I may never see again....Makin' music with my friends....

Today, I purged my facebook page - "unfollowed" all but one of the groups to which I belonged, and "unfollowed" many of my facebook friends, leaving only face-to-face friends and a very few longtime internet dog friends to show up in my newsfeed. I can still check in on the others from time to time, and they can see my posts, but my newsfeed will no longer be full of all their memes, shares, likes, politics, stories of atrocities against animals and humans, pictures of people I don't know, etc. I'll see what I want to see, when I want to see it. I'll look at the world of facebook through my rose coloured glasses.

Rose coloured glasses can improve even facebook!

Starting next week, I have reduced my regular volunteering to one afternoon a week, though there may still be special events and emergencies with which I might help (but I'm also pretty good at saying 'no, sorry, can't do that'). I made the decision to distance myself from much of rescue - I will no longer respond to requests to help every Jane, Jack and Martha find the dog of their dreams, only to have them buy one from a puppy miller or importer after I've done hours of work searching legitimate rescues. Nope. Not helping. I'm no longer that person.

No, I won't help you find the dog of your dreams,though I might send you a link on how to tell a good rescue organization\from a bad one.

And so, as some of you will be pleased to learn, you will see me return to blogging. I've missed it. I've lacked the time and energy for creatively sharing my hikes, my critters, my joys. I start to write and get distracted, or feel guilty for not doing something else, and so the stories stay in my head and the photos stay in my camera. That's about to end, and you'll find me here at least a couple of times a week - writing, sharing photos, talking about the hikes I've done, telling you of Mitzi's or Allie's latest antics.

Antics? Does I get up to antics?

Life's too short to not do what you love. And I'm going back to loving life.

I'm applauding your decisions from my end! Live life to the fullest Jean, how you and Mitzi and Alie want to live it! So that each night when you tuck into your beds, you can say to yourself "THAT was a fun day!" I know life does not always work that way but you can certainly try and have as many fun days as you can!

Halleluha!!! I don't know if the spelling is right but my feelings are going to be understood!!! Welcome back, Jean, you have been sorely missed. Huge hugs for you, Mitzi and careful hug for Allie, I look forward to reading your postings with happy anticipation.

I too, have reduced what I see in facebook and trying so very hard to finish my writing. I think I need to start a blog again too. You are my inspiration. Glad to see you writing again an dI love your pictures. Makes me want to go out and hike too.